Browns know what a victory over Steelers would mean to fans

Cleveland Browns head coach Pat Shurmur, center, looks for an explanation on a call as field judge Craig Wrolstad (4) watches during an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys Sunday, Nov. 18, 2012, in Arlington, Texas. The Cowboys won in overtime 23-20. (AP Photo/Sharon Ellman)

For one extra helping of Thanksgiving leftovers and another piece of pumpkin pie, name the Browns winningest coach against the Steelers in the expansion era.

And the answer is ... Chris Palmer! If you named the first coach when the Browns returned to the NFL 14 years ago, loosen your belt another notch and get ready to chow down.

That's right -- Chris Palmer. Palmer was 5-27 and was fired after the 2000 season, but in his brief moment in the sun, the Browns beat the Steelers, 16-15, in Three Rivers Stadium in 1999 and 23-20 in Cleveland 2000.

Too bad Palmer didn't leave his secret formula behind, because the coaches who followed him were pretty pathetic when it came to making Cleveland proud in what is still loosely termed a rivalry.

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Butch Davis was 1-8 from 2001-2004, including a playoff loss after the 2002 season. Romeo Crennel was 0-8 through four seasons, and Eric Mangini was 1-3 in two years.

Pat Shurmur hasn't beaten the Steelers yet, and it is not wild speculation to say time for him to do so is running out. His next chance comes at 1 p.m. Sunday and then on the final Sunday of the season in Pittsburgh. Whether he gets another chance after that in 2013 is up to new owner Jimmy Haslam.

"I'm 0-2 against them, so that's what I'm going on," Shurmur said after practice Wednesday. "It is a rivalry. I feel the passion.

"I had neighbors and people in the community tell me how important it is and what it means to beat the Steelers. Then playing the games you feel that, whether it be on the sideline or from the crowd. I know our players know and I know our young players are being educated about it."

There has been so much turnover since 2010, when Mike Holmgren was named Browns president and Tom Heckert was hired as general manager that only 10 players from the team that beat the Steelers in 2009 are on the roster. Twenty-one are new to the Browns this year and 17 from that group are rookies, so they couldn't possibly know fans are stirred by more than geography when it comes to Browns-Steelers.

The only player on the Browns' roster who was also on the planet when Steelers defensive tackle Mean Joe Greene kicked Bob McKay in the groin on Oct. 5, 1975, was Phil Dawson, and he was only 9 months old.

One year and five days later, Joe "Turkey" Jones wrapped his arms around Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw, turned him upside down and planted him head first in the Cleveland Stadium sod. Jones drew a roughing the passer penalty but the crowd of 76,411 cheered unmercifully as Bradshaw flopped on his back like a fish in the bottom of a the boat after being caught. Bradshaw is lucky his neck wasn't broken.

The Steelers won the Mean Joe Greene game, 42-6. The Browns won the Turkey Jones game, 18-16.

Those were the days when the Browns-Steelers rivalry was genuine, before free agency made the NFL a transient league.

Of course, the Ravens and Steelers manage to keep the bad blood boiling in an era of free agency. But that is because the two teams annually contend for the AFC North title, as they are in 2012.

The Steelers lead the Ravens in their rivalry, 21-15, but the Ravens have won three straight. The Browns, conversely, trail the overall series with Pittsburgh, 62-56, but they have beaten the Steelers only once since 2003.

"I've beaten them before," eight-year veteran Josh Cribbs said. "It's been a while, but it'll mean everything for the city and our fans. So that's why I'm going to be egging the guys on. Not that they need it, but I'm going to be still standing there like, 'you know what this means for our city?'

"We've lost a lot of games, but we can make it right. Our coaches are beating it in everybody's heads, letting them know what it means to the rookies more than anybody. This rivalry is everything to us and our fans. It's about bragging rights."

Cribbs was instrumental in the 13-6 victory over the Steelers on Dec. 10 three years ago. Running out of the Wildcat formation, Cribbs led his team with 87 yards rushing. He took a direct snap and ran off right tackle 37 yards late in the second quarter to set up a 10-yard touchdown run by Chris Jennings 41 seconds before halftime.

Jennings' touchdown was the only one in the game and the first by a Browns running back all season.